Mass and capacity - Compare capacities - Planning

In a Year 3 summer term lesson focused on measuring capacity, students are tasked with comparing different volumes of liquid. The lesson aligns with the National Curriculum objectives, which include measuring, comparing, adding, and subtracting various units such as mass (kg/g) and volume/capacity (l/ml). Key vocabulary includes terms like 'scale', 'capacity', 'litres', 'millilitres', 'full', 'empty', and comparison symbols like 'greater than', 'less than', and 'equal to'. The lesson begins with a review of these terms and a recap of the previous learning where students used the concepts of 'full' and 'empty' to compare capacities, with an emphasis on understanding the use of litres for larger containers and millilitres for smaller amounts.

The teaching input involves activities that encourage the use of comparison symbols to determine which containers hold more or less liquid. Students are prompted to carefully read scales and to consider the importance of comparing like units, converting measurements when necessary. In one activity, they complete comparative sentences based on images of drink cans and a jug, while in another, they use inequality symbols to compare volumes. A reasoning task presents a scenario involving a litre bottle of water and the distribution of its contents into glasses, prompting discussion about the possible amounts in each glass. The lesson concludes with differentiated worksheets that allow students to independently apply their skills in comparing volumes. The plenary includes reflection on the skills learned, such as comparing and converting units, and addresses common misconceptions like confusing comparison symbols and failing to standardise units of measurement.